BAY RIDGE — Despite opposition from community members and elected officials, Bay Ridge’s first legal cannabis dispensary opened in the former Pilo Arts hair salon located at 8412 Third Ave. Kaya Bliss hosted its soft opening on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Owners Edgar Kleydman, a former financial planner, and Giorgio Matesi, a sanitation worker, told the Brooklyn Eagle that in spite of some neighborhood backlash, many people seem to be responding favorably to what they plan on offering: legally sourced, clean cannabis.

According to Kleydman, in the last 50 years, the only way to guarantee clean cannabis was to grow it yourself.

“There are no chemicals being sprayed here,” Kleydman said, adding, “We finally have a pure product. Everything we get is sealed and tested. People will indulge in cannabis regardless, so they may as well do it in a way that’s clean and legal.”

Kaya Bliss will be open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.